Tent



s. D. CHURCH May 30, 1950 TENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1947 INVENTOR. SAM D.CHURCH.

TORNEYS.

S. D. CHURCH May 30, 1950 TENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27. 1947 INVENTOR. SAM D. CHURCH.

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YM RNEYS.

S. D. CHURCH TENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 27, 1947 INVENTOR. SAM D. CHURCH 4T NE Y5.

Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to tents, and more particularlyto a type of tent that may be relatively great in. dimension and can still be readily erected by i one. man.

A tent of the type of which this invention relates comprisesapair of opposed tripods which suspend a ridge pole by means of pulleys, the ridge pole, in turn, supporting the frame structure wither-canvas roof and preferably drop canvassides.

I. am awarethat opposed tripods have been proposed in the. prior art, but such prior devices have been open to several objections. In the first place, it has generally been found necessary to have the innerwtwo, legs of the tripod lie in a plane that forms anacute angle with. the ground inorder that the, center of gravity of the tripods may fall within the legs. In such a construction if a free ridge pole and rectangular frame structurewere supported by pulleys from the tripod, the frame structure could not be made totrise along the legs because of the angularity of their plane. However, in a tent of my construction I makeithe plane of the inner legs of the-tripod vertical and with this construction the frame structure can slide along the legs as the ridge. pole is raised so that any forces causing one tripod toswing inwardly are transmitted by the frame structure to the other tripod.

Likewise, I havea novel suspension for the ridge pole so that the component of force on each tripod due to the weight of the tent assembly fallsflwithin thecenter of gravity of the tripod. ,Prior, devices which have vertical inner legs have been forced to employ ridge poles fixed or linked to the top of thetripod, to attain the necessary :rigidity This makes it impossible for one man to erect a tent of any appreciable dimension whereas with a free ridge pole. the tripods may be erected separately.

A further object of my invention resides in construction of the tripodwherein the outer leg is pivotally mounted thereon in a novel manner :so that the erector can assemble the tripod parts on the ground and erect the tripod by grasping the outer pivoted leg and working it along the ground until the inner legs are vertical After both tripods are erected the ridge pole may be hoisted in place from the ground and even though the ridge pole assembly is structurally freeof connection with the tripod (because the support for the pulley lies within the center of gravity of the tripod) the frame structure may abutthe inner tripod legs and the assembled tent i I lines used to assemble the tent.

is perfectly rigid.

. These and other. objects will be apparent as the.

Fig. 6 illustrates how one man may erect the.

relatively largetripod without assistance.

The tent comprisesa pair of tripod assemblies T and a ridge pole, framework and canvas assembly R which is free of the tripod except for the line which suspends the assembly R 'from the tripods, Each tripod includesa pair of forward or inner legs II) that lie in a vertical plane,

these being the vertical legs heretofore mentioned. The tripod also has a rearward or skew outer leg [2 preferably in a plane perpendicular to that of the inner legs. The said inner legs areconnected rigidly at the upper ends by means of the upper tripod assembly ii and the outer or skew'leg is pivoted to said assembly. In the preferred form, I contemplate that, the tent be of sizable dimensions; for example, I have found my tent suitable for, use as a chapel tent for memorial services in which case the tent should be no less than 16 feet square and 12 feet high. To facilitate packing, and shipment of the larger size tents the various legs, poles, frames and the like are preferably madein two ormore sections which can be readily assembled and disassembled, For example, with the 16 foot tent, the legs lllare preferably made in two tubular sections I3 and M which are joinedby means of an inner telescoping member l5 fastened to one section as at it, telescoping within the other section,,

and detachably fastened thereto by means of fastener means l1. Likewise, the outer leg 12 may be made of two sections l8 and I9 connected by a telescoping member 20. In [order to adjust. the tripod for unevenness of the ground, the outer. leg l2 may include a telescoping section 2 i, aplurality of latching apertures 22 which may be adj ustably locked to the lower section 19.

by fastening means 23. It is convenient if each leg be providedwith a base member 20 which has aplurality of eyesformed thereon for fastening As best seen in Fig. 2, the upper leg portions l3 telescope with the upper tripod assembly II. This assembly includes a transverse member 3| with angular extensions 32 welded or integrally fastened thereto. The extensions are formed to telescope within the leg members [3 and may be apertured as at 33 to receive a bolt that passes through the leg members of the extensions. In order to simultaneously attach the outer leg l2 and support the ridge pole assembly within the center of gravity of each tripod, I weld a pair of bracket members 34 and 35 to the crossbar II in a plane perpendicular to that of the inner pair of legs and mount a pulley 36 at the junction of the brackets. Thus (as best seen in Fig. 3) the pulley lies well within the center of gravity of the erected tripod.

The outer or skew leg I2 is mounted on this assembly in a novel manner in that it is pivoted thereto as at 38 and is prevented from moving backwardly or away from the inner pair of legs at a predetermined position by means of crossbar stop 39. Although it is not essential, it is preferable that a brace 3'! be welded across the parts whereby they are in the form of a rigid triangle and thereby are provided with a maximum of strength.

The ridge pole and framework structure includes a ridge pole 50 which supports the roof canvas 69. I prefer that drop canvases 6! for the sides and 62 for the ends be provided and it is important to notice that there is a relatively stiff four-cornered frame structure made up of tubular structural members including side members 42 and crossbar members 4|. These membersmay be made in sections following the construction illustrated for the legs of the tripod; for example, member 42 may include sections 43 and M detachably fastened by a telescoped member 45. Of course, the ridge pole would be made in sections in a similar manner to facilitate shipment. The corners of the framework structure may be joined as shown in Fig. 4 wherein members 4! and 42 telescope over a welded corner assembly 46, made of heavy gauge tubular metal or made of solid material. These parts may be permanently fastened by means of bolts passing through apertures in the parts. As an alternative construction, the ends of the members may be flattened, forming members Ma and 42a which have flattened terminal sections 41 and 48 that are apertured to receive a fastening bolt 49. Of course, the frame members 42 are slipped into place in pockets in the canvas structure before the corners are assembled. The lower sides of the canvas may receive stretcher pole 63.

In erecting the tent the tripod parts are assembled on the ground as illustrated by the dashed lines in Fig. 6, then the erector grasps skew leg 52, walks outwardly therewith, working the lower end of the leg along the ground as indicated by the arrow A. He walks under the leg as the tripod becomes erect and readily places it in its final position even though it greatly exceeds his own height. During this operation the leg [2 pivots about pivot member 33 in the upper tripod assembly but is clear of the stop 39 until the tripod is substantially erect. When the leg l2 abuts stop piece 39 the lower telescoping extension 2! is advanced or retracted until it firmly engages the ground with the leg engaging the stop piece 39. Thus, a rigid structure is had without need for manipulation at the upper parts thereof. After both tripods are in place the framework and canvas structures are iii.

4 assembled and the line 10 is pressed around each end of the ridge pole 50 and rove over block 36. The ends of the ridge pole may then be hoisted and the lower end of the line 10 may pass to one of the belaying rings 29. Now, as seen in Fig. 3, the force F representing half the weight of the ridge pole assembly is well Within the center of gravity of the legs of the tripod so that each tripod is stable.

It i important to note that since the inner legs iii are vertical the frame crossbars 4| may ride along the inner tripod legs as the ridge pole is erected and any tendency of one tripod to move toward the other tripod (its least stable direction) is resisted by pressure of the framework members, against the opposite tripod. Thus, additional stability is secured even though, as it is important to note, that the ridge pole canvas assembly is not permanently fastened to the tripods in any way, and may be erected into place by an operator from the ground even though the tripods exceed his height many times. In fact, the tent would be stable if the ridge pole were merely suspended freely and not brought up against crossbars [3 because of the novel interaction of the tripods and frame structure.

In order to keep wind from lifting the tent vertically, anchor lines 25 may be attached to the assembly l l and staked to the ground. Also, I prefer that lines "H be made fast to the corners of the framework assembly and belayed to the associated rings 29. A similar line 12 may be attached to the lower stretch rod 63. Thus, it can be seen that a combination of elements which provide the vertical inner legs, the novel mounting of the block 36, the freedom of the ridge pole and framework assembly from the tripod, and

the interaction between the tripods through the framework members 4! and 42, all cooperate to provide a tent which is easy to erect, exceptionally stable and which does not rely upon numerous stakings or fastenings of the parts to the ground.

It will be understood that although I have illustrated an upper tripod assembly H which.

is economical to manufacture, this structure may be modified so long as the essence of the invention, namely the location of the block 36 within the center of gravity of the legs is maintained. It will also be understood that details of the assembly and framework and leg structures, the

l of the invention just described. Accordingly, I

contemplate that the appended claims and not the aforesaid description be determinative of the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tent, a pair of tripods each having an inner pair of legs lying in a substantially vertical plane and an outer leg skew to said plane, said tripods being arranged in spaced, aligned rela tionship with the planes of said inner legs generally parallel and the outer legs extending away from each other in order to prevent said tripods from falling away from one another, a ridge poleextending between the tripods and having extensions disposed within the center of gravity of each}; tripod, a stiff frame structure below said ridge. pole and above the feet of said tripod legs, said l frame structure having end portions adjacent the inner tripod legs, a canopy extending from said ridge pole and over side portions of the frame structure, pulley means carried by each of said' of each tripod and a unfipassm overeach o saidpulleyineansi and connectedto said ridge pole extensions to suspend the sameso'that each" 2 In a tent, a pair of tripods each and,

planesof said inner legs generally parallel and the" outer legs extending away from each other in order to prevent said tripods from falling away from one another, arid ge pole exter ding between each tripod, a relativelystiff frame structure hav ing spaced side members extending between the tripods connected to crossbars each abutting one of said pairs of tripod 'legsabove the fee't'thereof,

tendency of one tripod to lean toward the other i being resisted by pressure of the'fra ne structure against said other tripod, a canopy extending from said ridge poleand over" thefsidie members of said frame structure, and means to suspend said ridge pole from a pointwithin 'the center of gravity of each'tripod 'so'that each tripod is inherently stable. V i i i r 3. In a tent, a pair'of tripods each having an inner pair of legs lying in a vertical plane and an outer leg skew to said plane, said tripods being arranged in spaced, aligned relationship with the planes of said inner legs generally parallel and the outer legs extending away from each other in order to prevent said tripods from falling away from one another, a ridge pole extending between the tripods and having extensions disposed within the center of gravity of each tripod, a relatively stiff frame structure having spaced side members extending between the tripods connected to crossbars each abutting one of said pairs of tripod legs above the feet thereof, tendency of one tripod to lean toward the other being resisted by pressure of the frame structure against said other tripod, a canopy extending from said ridge pole and over the side members of said frame structure, and means to suspend said ridge pole extensions from a point within the center of gravity of each tripod so that each tripod is inherently stable.

4. In a tent, a pair of tripods each having an inner pair of legs lying in a vertical plane and an outer leg skew to said plane, said tripods being arranged in spaced, aligned relationship with the planes of said inner legs generally parallel and the outer legs extending away from each other in order to prevent said tripods from falling away from one another, said outer leg being pivoted to said inner pair of legs, a ridge pole extending between each tripod, a relatively stiff frame structure having spaced side members extending between the tripods connected to crossbars each abutting one of said pairs of tripod legs above the feet thereof, tendency of one tripod to lean toward the other being resisted by pressure of the frame structure against said other tripod, a canopy extending from said ridge pole and over the side members of said frame structure, and means to suspend said ridge pole from a point within the center of gravity of each tripod so that each tripod is inherently stable.

5. In a tent, a pair of tripods each having an inner pair of legs lying in a vertical plane and an outer leg skew to said plane, said tripods being arranged in spaced, aligned relationship with the planes of said inner legs generally parallel and the outer legs extending away from each other in order to prevent said tripods from falling away frorfi one I i i innerpair 'offl'egs means to limit the p of a d Outer n. a ir t bn ifj away from js'ai'd] innerfpair of legs, a ridge pole extending bet sen aeh tripod, a relativelys tifi 6. a tent, a pairfof tripods each having an inner pair df legs lying in a" vertical plane and an outerleg'slrew to saidplane, said tripods being arranged in spaced, aligned relationship with the? planesjof isai'd inner legs generally parallel and the outerlegsfextending away from each other inf order to prevent paid tripods from falling away fromone' anothelflsaid outer leg being pivoted to said inner p ir" of legs and having means to adjust its length, a ridge 'pole extending between each tripod :a relatively stiff frame struc tu re ha ing spaced sidemenibe'rs extending between tripods connected to crossbars each abuttingone' of said pairs of tripod legs above the feet thereof, tendency of one tripod to lean toward the other being resisted by pressure of the frame structure against said other tripod, a canopy extending from said ridge pole and over the side members of said frame structure, and means to suspend said ridge pole from a point within the center of gravity of each tripod so that each tripod is inherently stable.

'7. In a tent, a pair of tripods each having an inner pair of legs lying in a vertical plane and an outer leg skew to said plane, said tripods being arranged in spaced, aligned relationship with the planes of said inner legs generally parallel and the outer legs extending away from each other in order to prevent said tripods from falling away from one another, a ridge pole extending between the tripods, a relatively stiff frame structure having spaced side members extending between the tripods connected to crossbars each abutting one of said pairs of tripod legs above the feet thereof, tendency of one tripod to lean toward the other being resisted by pressure of the frame structure against said other tripod, a canopy extending from said ridge pole and over the side members of said frame structure, pulley means carried by each of said tripods and disposed within the center of gravity of each tripod, a line passing over said pulley means and connected to said ridge pole to suspend the same so that each tripod is inherently stable.

8. In a tent, a pair of tripods each having an inner pair of legs lying in a vertical plane and an outer leg skew to said plane, said tripods being arranged in spaced, aligned relationship with the planes of said inner legs generally parallel and the outer legs extending away from each other in order to prevent said tripod from falling away from one another, a ridge pole extending between the tripods and having extensions disposed within the center of gravity of each tripod, a relatively stiff frame structure having spaced side members extending between the tripods connected to crossbars each abutting one of said pairs of tripod legs above the feet thereof, tendency of one tripod to lean toward the other being resisted by pressure of the frame structure against said other tripod, a canopy extending from said ridge pole and over the side members of said frame structure, pulley means carried by each of said tripods and disposed within the center of gravity of each tripod, a line passing over each of said pulley means and connected to said ridge pole extensions to suspend the same so that each tripod is inherently stable.

9. A tripod assembly for a tent comprising an inner pair of legs lying in a vertical plane connected to a support member extending from said legs in a perpendicular plane, an outer leg skew to said first plane and lying in said perpendicular plane, said outer leg being pivoted to said support member to facilitate erection of the tripod by one man, and pulley means for suspending a ridge pole carried by said support member within the center of gravity of said tripod assembly.

10. A tripod assembly for a tent comprising an inner pair of rigidly connected legs lying in a vertical plane connected to a support member extending from said legs in a perpendicular plane, an outer leg skew to said first plane and lying in said perpendicular plane, said outer leg being pivoted to said support member, and pulley means for suspending a ridge pole carried by said support member within the center of gravity of said tripod assembly.

11. A tripod assembly for a tent comprising an inner pair of legs lying in a vertical plane connected to a support member extending from said legs in a perpendicular plane, an outer leg skew to said first plane and lying in said perpendicular plane, said outer leg being pivoted to said support member, means to limit motion of said outer leg away from said inner pair of legs, and pulley means for suspending a ridge pole carried by said support member within the center of gravity of said tripod assembly.

SAM D. CHURCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 224,178 Edson Feb. 3, 1880 298,515 Sutphen May 13, 1884 328,074 Smith Oct. 13, 1885 439,384 Clement Oct. 28, 1890 627,626 Owens June 27, 1899 640,334 Tanner Jan. 2, 1900 756,672 Meinwieser Apr. 5, 1904; 

